Metairie to break ground on new pickleball complex
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Pickleball can be played on repurposed tennis courts. Photo: RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Jefferson Parish officials will break ground Thursday on a $1 million pickleball complex in Metairie at Mike Miley Playground.
Why it matters: Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in the U.S.
- Even former Saints quarterback Drew Brees is getting in on the action. He hosted a pickleball tournament over the summer and is part owner of a Major League Pickleball team in Austin.
- Officials estimate 300 to 500 residents play pickleball weekly at Jefferson Parish parks.
What's happening: The Miley pickleball complex will have nine new courts and four refurbished ones with lights for free play, leagues and tournaments, according to the parish.
- It will have two small covered areas for spectators and players, and site plans also show a future "tot lot" playground nearby in addition to more parking.
Timeline: Construction is slated to get underway in December and finish in April, parish spokesperson Gretchen Hirt Gendron tells Axios.
- Crescent Commercial Construction is the contractor. Meyer Engineering is the architect/engineer, and Donovan Duffy is the design engineer.
Zoom in: The parish is using about $1 million from the recreation millage tax to fund the pickleball project, Hirt Gendron says.
- The playground is still the planning stages, she said, and will be funded separately.
Zoom out: New Orleans metro has about 30 pickleball facilities, according to Pickleheads.com, which maps courts and their amenities.
- Earlier this year, NORD opened a pickleball court in Algiers, and City Park unveiled pickleball courts.
- Plus: The Exchange Pickleball + Bar opened over the summer on Tchoupitoulas Street with indoor and outdoor courts, in addition to lessons, membership packages and on-site food and drinks.
Go deeper: Pickleball popularity picks up in New Orleans.